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SINGAPORE: Singapore needs to manage risks, not eliminate them completely, as the country prepares to reopen for travel, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Wednesday (November 25).
“Isolating ourselves from the world is not an option,” Chan said in a speech at the TravelRevive fair. “Singapore cannot take advantage of a large local population or national travel to sustain our tourism sector.”
It is also unrealistic to expect to eliminate all risks from reopening, he said.
“Learning to manage risk will therefore be a much more productive approach and will put us in a good position, as we never know what the next crisis that could hit us or what the next virus will be that could disrupt air travel.
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COVID-19 has been “especially shocking” for countries without a large domestic market like Singapore.
But the outbreak has also given countries like Singapore the impetus to reinvent themselves, Chan said.
“We are not waiting for the vaccine to arrive. We are also not waiting for the COVID-19 pandemic to pass. Instead, we are laying the foundation now and beginning the journey to reinvent and rebuild the industry. “
Global travel “will never be the same again” even after COVID-19, he said. But changes in the way people travel and how events take place “were already on the horizon” before the pandemic.
With digitization, many companies were reassessing the need to travel for routine operations. The move towards sustainability also made many travelers consider whether there were greener ways to fulfill their desire for new experiences, the minister said.
The COVID-19 outbreak accelerated progress towards digitization and sustainability, adding the need for health security, “above physical security and convenience.”
“Therein lies the opportunity for all of us,” said Mr. Chan. “Whoever can guarantee the safety of the health of the visitors in a faster and better way will obtain a competitive advantage. Singapore recognizes this and has every intention of being among the leaders in this area.
“If any country in the world has the incentive and drive to come up with the right reinvention formula, Singapore must be one of the pioneers.”
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REINVENT THE JOURNEY
Beyond resuming travel safely, Singapore will be a pioneer in several things to “lead the reinvention” of global travel, especially in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry, said the Minister of Trade and Industry. .
Safe travel protocols and event protocols have been implemented. This includes COVID-19 testing before departure and on arrival, the TraceTogether system, and the Event Industry Resilience Roadmap released last month, he added.
TravelRevive is the first major international travel fair to take place in Asia Pacific since COVID-19, testing the newly developed hybrid event trade show prototype for secure trade events.
In a press release on Wednesday, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and ITB Asia said that close to 1,000 local and international attendees will attend the event, with secure management measures and crowd density controls in place.
The tourism authority is working with industry stakeholders on a framework to guide tourism businesses in developing safe itineraries, to prepare for the gradual resumption of leisure travel, according to the press release.
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“Safe itineraries have been specially selected for all delegates to offer a guarantee of safety and provide authentic, tailor-made and personalized experiences,” the statement said.
These include virtual tours with hands-on activities that delegates can participate in from their hotel rooms. Delegates can also take part in private museum tours and even a guided tour of a Kelong fish farm.
Changi Airport Group has also developed an online tool called Safe Travel Concierge. This helps travelers manage their visits by customizing a travel checklist with the pre-entry requirements they must meet before entering Singapore.
Chan said the government will support the travel industry in “completely reinventing the visitor experience.”
“We are doing all this not only to return to the previous status quo. We are going to … gather new players, set new standards for the industry and develop a completely new experience for people to come to Singapore for pleasure, MICE and business, ”he said.
